The word "handsome" denotes chivalrous or genteel behaviour, though it is often popularly taken to refer to good looks. At its second occurrence in the proverb the word is properly an adverb. .........

The saying refers to the learning of a process without an understanding of why it works. Another definition implies the act of mimicry, usually with limited knowledge of the consequences.

Monkey see, monkey do is a saying originated in Jamaica in the early 18th century and popped up in the early 1920s. It's probably from the folklore of West Africa, made well-known by retelling, which she calls (A Tale of a Peddler; Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business). There are also various other versions of this, such as The Hatseller and the Monkeys by Baba Wagué Diakité, set in Mali.